Shikoku is the smallest of Japan's four main islands, but it delivers big on opportunities to get to know Japan's spiritual side and explore some of the country's strikingly beautiful natural areas. Divided into the four prefectures of Kagawa, Ehime, Tokushima and Kochi, Shikoku can be reached by air, train, bus or ferry from Japan's major cities.
With its 88 temples and sacred sites, and origins dating back to the 8th Century, the “
Henro (Shikoku Pilgrimage)” is an integral part of Shikoku's culture. It winds through all four prefectures, along suburban streets, peaceful country lanes, rugged coastal roads and forested mountain slopes. Come along on a journey through the cultural heart of Japan and delve into an authentic experience found only in Shikoku.
Though dedicated to different deities, all the sites have ties to the revered monk Kōbō Daishi (774-835, also known as Kukai), the central figure of the Henro and the founder of the Shingon School of Japanese Buddhism. Priests began visiting Shikoku after his death, followed by regular citizens during the Edo period (1603-1867), who walked the route seeking a cure for illness, as an expression of their faith or for sightseeing.
David Moreton, a Shikoku-based independent researcher from Canada who specialises in the Henro, explains: